Jeremy Seewer’s 2-4 score gave him an unexpected GP win at the spectacular and atmospheric Maggiora GP after a late race fall from Jorge Prado as Seewer took another win for Yamaha in his penultimate GP race for the team, with a move to Kawasaki confirmed for the popular Swiss rider in 2024.
Seewer’s Swiss fans had made the trip and Jeremy, after the race was over, spent time at under the tent making sure the fans got some one one one time with him, underlining why he is such a popular rider in the pits
Jeremy, GP winner, it didn’t look like you knew when you crossed the line, but when you found out it must have felt pretty awesome.
Yeah, that was cool to get a GP win. It was a surprise. Hard work payed off. I was riding well but I didn’t get the results to win on paper but I did on track and that’s what counts. Super happy, it feel like I get back some luck I lost this year. It feels like I had many fourth places where I could have won a GP and now I won a GP, so it evens out, super happy.
I had you down as potential title contender this year but the start of the season hurt you. You have managed to work through that and come out the other side again!
This year was a completely different story. I had that crash and some small things we had to think about on the bike which was normal because we had a brand new bike so we had to sort that out, which cost me a lot of points together with my crash. I hit my head in Switzerland when I got taken out. All those things together made it tough, even though I was as fit and as ready as ever before. It was so unlucky, because I won pre-season races and I was super strong but that’s racing. Now I am looking forward to the last GP plus the Nations and then there is a next year, luckily!
Your style on the 250 was pretty controlled and smooth I felt but on the 450 you are more aggressive I felt? Is that true or completely wrong?!
No, that’s wrong. I think I was even more wild on a 250 sometimes! I really pushed hard because I was on a Suzuki, it wasn’t the fastest bike, it was a super good bike but it wasn’t the fastest, so I always had to put the extra effort. On a 450 you can never go fast without being smooth. So sometimes you have to push but you need to find the right places to push, I always try to find the right balance.
I remember years ago I think in an interview, it was maybe your mum said, you weren’t Ken Roczen, but each year you will find a way to get better and better and that’s maybe the truest thing anyone has said because each year you find a way to get better and better!
That’s true, I do. Sure, the competition gets better too but through my career I really made a step every year. Through my career I really made a step every year, at the start I wasn’t incredibly ‘waow,’ I mean people like Herlings and Roczen, I would look up to them and think wow I can never achieve what they have, they would lap me on track but now I have caught them up, somehow.
Was it hard to believe in yourself then if that’s how you were visualling other riders you were racing against?
Yes and no. I do believe in myself, for sure, otherwise you never make it. Then I have people around me that believe in me a lot also. It’s a combination of things with your surroundings and the people you work with and yourself, in the end it’s yourself on the bike. But that package somehow work out well for me.
And you have an Irish mechanic (Paul Conway) how much has he helped get these wins?!
He is super cool. He never won a GP till this season, he worked for good riders and good teams but he never experienced a GP win, so it’s quite special for him. I love to work with him, super fun.
Your Yamaha career is ending, was this win emotional that way, I’m sure you have had a good bond with the team and everything?
Yes, I’m not looking at it too dramatic. Sure, I am also sad to leave them at the end of the season because we also had a great time together. There were many people involved in Yamaha I really like, they helped me, they made me the guy who I am. They pushed me in a good direction and made me where I am now.
But at the same time, that’s racing. I don’t mind which colour I have as long as I am winning and doing well at the end of the day.
Romain Febvre gave you a panic rev going into the final corner at one point, I think it was the first moto and I was thinking these two are going to be teammates next year! You are used to equal teammates at Yamaha but Romain is obviously very fast as well, how is that going to be with two “A” riders in one team?
Well, I am good at that. First of all, I do my thing, I don’t look at others, I do my business. I focus around my bubble. On the track, if I fight him now on the Yamaha or if I fight him next year on the same brand, what’s the difference? I’m from Switzerland, we are very neutral! So I will manage those things.
MXoN, I think Arnaud Tonus is on the 250 you and Guillod on the big bikes, that’s a strong team, maybe this year you can top five or better?
I think top five should be the goal. That’s realistically the goal. Sure, if everything clicks, if Arnaud has a good day, I have a good day, Valentin has a good day then we can do something cool. But I am not putting the pressure on, that race is there to wrap up the season in a good way, fight some of the best. It is always cool the Americans come over, right now team Australia with Jett and Hunter.
You will probably have a smile on your face if you are anywhere near the Lawrence brothers I’m sure!
Yeah, sure! Hunter is one of my best friends to this day even if he is living in the US and stuff. We keep in touch a lot and yeah, I just like to see him. It’s going to be fun racing those guys and try to have some cool battles, that’s it.
Interview: Jonathan McCready
Cover image: Yamaha
In a great day for Yamaha, Jago Geerts took the MX2 class win, Andy McKinstry caught up with him at the end of the day to get his thoughts on the win but a tough season:
